Incline Eidos Montreal CEO quits, replaced by DX:HR producer

[Infinitron]

About time somebody lost his job for the Thiaf debacle.

http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/23/eidos-montreal-boss-and-founder-stephane-d’astous-left-the-company/

Eidos Montreal boss and founder Stephane D’Astous has left the company

Eidos Montreal boss and founder Stephane D’Astous left the company last week, he has said in a statement.

D’Astous said his replacement will be David Anfossi, the producer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: The Fall.

According to his statement, D’Astous left the company due to irreconcilable differences between Eidos and Square Enix Europe.

“Since last year’s financial short-coming performance of Square Enix Europe, we (HQ London and GM Eidos Montreal) have had growing and divergent opinions on what needed to be done to correct the situation,” he said.

“The lack of leadership, lack of courage and the lack of communication were so evident, that I wasn’t able to conduct my job correctly. I realized that our differences were irreconcilable, and that the best decision was unfortunately to part ways.”

D’Astous was at the firm six years and his departure follows that of North American CEO Mike Fischer and a round of layoffs in both North America and Europe.

 

[Zed]

I guess he realized Thi4f wasn't salvageable and left with a sour comment to misdirect future critique.

 

[Cassidy]

Meanwhile, the rest of Eidos Montreal still stands, ready to ruin the franchises so many grew fond of.

That's a rotten way to get raped.

What a shame.

 

[hoverdog]

not sure if or .


I will sleep sound only when thiaf is finally buried deep down in the bowels of the Earth, never to be uncovered again.

 

[deuxhero]

I'd like to see that piss-vison self inserting hack of an art-director gone more myself, but a worthy start.

 

[Melan]

I guess he realized Thi4f wasn't salvageable and left with a sour comment to misdirect future critique.

This is an important point. The horrible design decisions behind Thief weren't made in the last few months. They are part of the overall design, and have likely been acknowledged and okayed over multiple rounds of decision-making. D'Astous has no excuse whatsoever, just like Warren Spector and Harvey Smith can't blame anyone over DX: Invisible War.

 

[skacky]

Perhaps both the negative response to that piece of crap game they dare call "Thief" and the panning of The Fall from players made him reconsider his role, and then he decided to leave this trainwreck before it was too late.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Shit games and their developers deserve nothing less.

 

[J1M]

Don't worry guys, if Square goes bankrupt I will buy the Deus Ex license in the fire sale auction.

 

[toro]

Don't worry guys, if Square goes bankrupt I will buy the Deus Ex license in the fire sale auction.

I'm afraid potatoes don't count for that.

 

[TripJack]

how is this incline

 

[Ninjerk]

A cog in the franchise-raping machine lost his job. I'm not sure Anfossi is any better, though. JJB was tolerable while the game was being made, at least.

 

[Infinitron]

http://gamebanshee.com/news/111907-...his-problems-with-square-enix-management.html

During a phone interview with Polygon, Stephane D'Astous, founder and general manager of Eidos Montreal until recently, elaborated on the reasons that ultimately led him to resign and leave Square Enix. Here's a snip:

"Obviously our last fiscal year was not exactly a great one," he said. "I think that senior executives at (Square Enix Europe) almost started to panic and it was difficult to know what type of changes we needed to do, and it took a lot of time before some information came out from HQ. ​

"It was unfortunate that the senior staff of the studios didn't really participate in the new strategic plan."​

D'Astous doesn't contest the need for change. That Square-Enix needed to do something drastic was obvious, he said.​

"We brought three triple As to the market, and despite that great line up and those great critical reviews we still managed not to respect our financial goals, so that really shook up a lot of people," he said. "When the fiscal results came out official we were all surprised." ​

Square Enix, D'Astous said, "has some things to learn about how to sell their games."​

...​

"It has been in discussion for the last few months," he said. "I've been really communicating my concerns, communicating my suggestions, my recommendations, since March. It has been quite tense." ​

Had Square Enix's leadership worked with the company's head of studios and head of departments to come up with a plan together, D'Astous said he would have stuck around. But the top-down approach left him with no confidence in the company, he said.​

A few words on the widely reported Thief development troubles too, given I suspect there's a significant overlap between our readership and fans of the series:

"Thief has been a long project," he said. "Some of your articles (about the game's development) were a little bit harsh. If you take into perspective every different element, it was blown out of proportion in some aspect. Every triple A has its up and downs and I guess we were exposed more to the public when we were at the bottom of the barrel. That was a long time ago.​

"The new team and producer has turned the corner and they're doing a good job. That is one of my biggest regrets, not to be at the head of the studio that would deliver Thief."​

 

[Kane]

 

[Renegen]

I think he was fighting the good fight, not incline.